Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-LedgerDevils goalie Martin Brodeur has had a prolific career, but he's 39 and coming off a tough season, physically and mentally.

It doesn’t seem possible.

The kid who first arrived in New Jersey 20 years ago with a much more pronounced French Canadian accent and the ability to help turn an improving franchise into three-time Stanley Cup champions is pondering retirement.

Martin Brodeur is entering the final season of his contract with the Devils. He will turn 40 in May and he feels the aches and pains more than ever before. It is possible that the 2011-12 season, which starts tonight for the Devils, will be his last.

“It crosses my mind, there is no doubt about that,” Brodeur told The Star-Ledger, “but it’s not something that stays with me. People will mention it, and it’s hard not to think about it. It might be. I’ve had a great run, and I’ve had a lot of fun doing it.

“But I feel I’m able to do more. And for me it’s not just competing. It’s personal. When I won my first Stanley Cup, I saw how happy a lot of the older guys were for me. Then when I won the Cup in 2000, I was really happy to see Scott Gomez and John Madden and Brian Rafalski win. It’s a rewarding feeling, and I’d like to be able to do it again. I just don’t want to give up that chance. Retirement will happen eventually.”

Several factors will go into his decision: How well he plays. Whether he has fun or it becomes a grind like it did last year. And, whether the Devils want him back as more than a backup.

An added factor is the possibility of an NHL work stoppage. If it wiped out all or most of next season, Brodeur might lose the passion, as Scott Stevens did in 2004-05.

Ilya Kovalchuk refuses to believe this will be Brodeur’s last season as Devils goaltender. Or perhaps he doesn’t want to believe.

“I don’t think it’s going to happen in the next few years,” Kovalchuk said. “He’s in great shape. He looks like he’s 30 years old. I’m sure he’s still enjoying it. You can tell. In practices and games he smiles a lot and has fun. Until that ends, I don’t think he will retire.”

Brodeur has recorded more victories (625) and played more games (1,132) than any goalie in NHL history. He’s a certain Hall of Famer.

Some of his success can be credited to preparation. He works hard in practice. So it is not surprising that Brodeur is also doing the proper prep work for retirement. He has spoken to quite a few former players about what it’s like to walk away from the game.

“They were just simple conversations,” he said. “Nothing like advising me to do anything. Just information, how they adapted to it and if they were OK with their decisions. Whether they regretted it. ... I want to have the most information possible for me to make the decision I need to make.

“I talked to guys who retired last year and guys who retired 10 years ago when I played with them. I talked to Ken Daneyko and Bruce Driver, guys I played with. I talked to Larry (Robinson) and my goalie coach (Jacques Caron). I want to have the most information possible for me to make the decision I need to make.”

And what did he get from it all?

“There could be a situation that might click for me because I heard it from somebody,” Brodeur explained. “I’m not looking for any specific answer from anybody. It’s really information. It’s a different lifestyle. Sometimes, because of the grind of it, you’re a little tired of it. But when that grind is not there anymore a lot of guys say you miss it. I’m sure there is a happy medium somewhere, and I think that comes with being ready to go.”

Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-LedgerThe Devils' Martin Brodeur has recorded more victories (625) and played more games (1,132) than any goalie in NHL history.

He isn’t at that point yet.

While the Devils could be a team struggling to make the playoffs, Brodeur feels it is also possible to win the Stanley Cup.

“I believe so,” he said. “I’m not saying with the kind of club we have right now it’s going to happen this year. It might. You never know with tweaks and changes. Definitely we feel comfortable with the youth we have.

“But ask anybody. Winning the Stanley Cup is tough. Look at Boston. They didn’t make the playoffs a few years back and they won the Stanley Cup. It’s really not like it was before when it was between four or five teams. Now teams are coming out of the woodwork. That’s why it’s possible for a younger team like us to dream. It can happen if you believe in it and the organization makes the right moves.”

General manager Lou Lamoriello will never use the word rebuilding, yet Brodeur admits it is a fair premise.

“You have to consider that we are, to a certain extent. We let guys like Brian Rolston and Colin White go, and we’re going to replace them probably with some young players,” the goalie said. “One by one, the older guys are leaving. There is a new trend coming in. But we’ve done a good job to do it in waves through the years.

“So now guys like Travis Zajac and Zach Parise are the most important players. I have to include myself and Patrik (Elias), but that’s about it from the old group. Now you’ve got another wave of young guys.”

The kids help keep Brodeur dreaming.

“If he has a great year, he has fun and enjoys it and he is healthy, I’d be surprised to see him walk away,” backup goalie Johan Hedberg said. “But if you have injuries and have to battle back, it wears on you.”

Personal statistics will not keep Brodeur in the game.

“If I do play it will be because I want to play, not because I want to add to (career stats),” Brodeur insisted. “For me it really is the fun of it and listening to my body. So far in camp it’s been fun. I’m enjoying what is going on. I’m enjoying coming to the rink.

“One of the questions I asked is, ‘If I wasn’t obligated to come here, what else was I going to do?’ I’m not ready for it.”

A 40-win season would put him within 35 of 700 victories. Wouldn’t that bring him back, whether it was with the Devils or another team?

“I don’t think so. I’ve accomplished what my career allowed me to accomplish and I’m really grateful for that. Everything else is gravy,” Brodeur said. “I’m doing it because I want to do it, not just because (of stats). A lot of people talk to be about that and I understand. There’s 650 and then 700.

“Where does it stop? Eventually somebody is going to have to pull the plug. But I’m happy I still have these discussions.”

Check back with him in March.

“I’m just counting on having a good year and, as a team, getting back into the playoffs,” he said. “Because, you know what? I was really happy when last season ended. It was a drag all year.

“It took me maybe three weeks after I started watching hockey again on TV. I missed it. I didn’t think I was going to miss it. I was happy that finally it was over. The next thing I knew it was, ‘I can’t believe we’re not in it.’ It took three weeks.”

Still, maybe the drag of a six-month (or longer) season doesn’t get to him — and he keeps going. Johnny Bower played until he was 45. Gump Worsley and Jacques Plante were 44.

“I’m sure he’ll think about retirement, but he’s a huge part of this organization, and he’ll want to be here as long as he can,” Kovalchuk said. “I’m sure even after he’s retired he’ll be part of the team and he’ll do something for them, but I want to see him as a teammate.”